How to Read the Dungeon Crawler Carl Books in Order

I have read more than my fair share of LitRPG books , but Dungeon Crawler Carl has been a contender for my overall favorite series since I first picked up book one. In short, it's an ongoing story about a man and his sassy cat's descent into the madness of an apocalyptic space game show. The author, Matt Dinniman , has a writing style that perfectly blends outrageousness with intrigue, making it hard to put down once you start reading.

There are a total of eight Dungeon Crawler Carl books that have been published so far, with the latest novel released earlier this year . All of the books are available to read with a Kindle Unlimited subscription , and all eight of the books are available for purchase as hardcover editions.

What's the Best Way to Read Dungeon Crawler Carl?

I've read all of the Dungeon Crawler Carl books via a Kindle Unlimited subscription, which is what I'd recommend the eBooks if you want to save as much money as possible. All of the books are included with a subscription, so you can burn through the full series fairly quickly without having to buy each individual title. If you prefer reading actual physical books, however, you can also buy hardcover copies of all seven books. A Parade of Horribles, the eighth book in the series, received a physical release at the same time it came out on Kindle, so you won't have to wait to pick up a copy for either of the upcoming novels.

Alternatively, if you're a fan of audiobooks, the Dungeon Crawler Carl Audible editions come highly recommended . Voice actor Jeff Hays does an incredible job portraying all of the different characters Matt Dinniman features in his books. You can listen to the first book for free by signing up for an Audible subscription .

Latest Book: A Parade of Horribles Synopsis

A Parade of Horribles out now. Here's the official synopsis from the Penguin Random House website :

"As chaos and mass panic spread outside the dungeon in the wake of Faction Wars, Carl and Donut find themselves on the tenth floor, where they’re forced to compete in a surprisingly normal set of tasks. Well, normal for the dungeon.

Races. Get from point A to point B, and don’t come in last. After each race, they pick an upgrade for their vehicle and the track gets more challenging. It all seems a little too normal, a little too simple.

Ignore those strange glitches that are occurring with increasing frequency. Don’t listen to those whispers about what’s happening on the mysterious eleventh floor, something the system AI calls A Parade of Horribles. Nobody, not even the showrunners, knows what that means. Just that the AI has ominously dubbed it 'a coming-out party for the ages.'

Everything is fine, Crawler. I repeat, everything is fine.

Carl hates that it’s business as usual. The rules of this floor have taken away his agency. That just will not do.

So Carl is planning a party of his own. It’s a plan so dangerous, so insane, he can’t even consult his friends lest the AI put a stop to it. Because if it goes wrong, it’s not just the end of Carl and Donut. No. The stakes are higher than they’ve ever been."

A Parade of Horribles (Dungeon Crawler Carl)

Matt Dinniman has stated that he expects to write 10 total entries in the Dungeon Crawler Carl series. He indicated that this number may be flexible in a more recent interview, but this is the current plan. With the eigth book now in May 2026, that leaves only two more books before the series comes to an end. In addition to the main series, there is also a graphic novel spin-off called Crocodile that's expected to arrive in March 2027 after a very successful crowd-funded campaign.

IGN recently interviewed Dinniman and he said he currently has no plans for more spin-offs and will wait to see how Crocodile does first. That being said, he hinted in a promotional video with Audible that he'd be looking to write an alien lawyer story after Dungeon Crawler Carl, citing Quasar as his inspiration.

Outside of books and graphic novels, Dungeon Crawler Carl has officially been announced at Peacock . The series will be produced by Seth McFarlane's Fuzzy Door and has already set its co-showrunners . It was announced during SDCC this year that Jeff Hays would reprise his role as Donut, but no other casting announcements have been made.

Jacob Kienlen is a Senior Audience Development Strategist and Writer for IGN. Born and raised in Portland, Oregon, he has considered the Northwest his home for his entire life. With a bachelor's degree in communication and over 8 years of professional writing experience, his expertise is spread across a variety of different pop culture topics -- from TV series to indie games and books.